easytours's blog

Thiruvananthapuram: For the second year running, Kerala has been rated the best tourist destination in the country, according to a survey. The survey says: "Kerala topping the list is a no-brainer."

The survey was conducted by the Nielsen Company on behalf of the Outlook Traveller magazine."The Outlook Survey has come as a big endorsement for Brand Kerala. It will spur us to take it forward with many more new initiatives," said Kerala Tourism Secretary T.K. Manoj Kumar here.

The survey also found Kerala as the second best state for winter destination after Goa, while Rajasthan and the Andamans occupied the third and fourth slots, respectively. In the category of beach destinations, Kerala occupies the fourth place.

Another highlight of the survey is about Kerala` coastal city of Kochi, which has emerged as the sixth best city for tourists after Jaipur, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

This rating has come at a time when the arrival of international tourists into Kerala grew from 6.50 lakh in 2010 to 7.3 lakh in 2011.

Spotting of three cubs comes as good news for the Ranthambore tiger reserve. At least three cubs were reportedly seen in the Khandar range of the forest by one of the forest 'mitras'.

"One of the forest guards spotted three cubs. The cubs, according to him, are of the tigress T-30 in the Khandar area. But we are yet to confirm it.

Trap cameras have been set up in the area to captures pictures of the tigress and her cubs," chief wildlife warden A Choubey said.

"One of the forest guards spotted three cubs. The cubs, according to him, are of the tigress T-30 in the Khandar area. But we are yet to confirm it. Trap cameras have been set up in the area to captures pictures of the tigress and her cubs," chief wildlife warden A Choubey said.

"The area has been cordoned off and we are hopeful of capturing pictures of the cub soon." Rajesh Gupta, additional director of the park, said.The park has been seeing a baby boom since the past year when 17 cubs were born. However, officials warned out of the 17 cubs, two have not been spotted in the recent days.

"The number of cubs in the past year was very good but we may soon see some migration when they become sub-adults," stated Choubey.

Taj Mahotsav, also known as Taj Mahal Utsav, is a 10 day annual festival normally organized in the month of February at Shilpgram, near the Taj Mahal; however, due to elections in Uttar Pradesh, it will be organized from 16th of March to 25th of March this year. This major event evokes the memories of the old Mughal period prevalent in the 18th and the 19th centuries in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Festival highlights the rich culture, arts, crafts, cuisine, music and dance of Uttar Pradesh. The festival is a golden opportunity for renowned artisans to display their magnificent works of art.

Taj Mahotsav commences with a splendid procession inspired by the Mughal rulers including beautifully ornamented camels and elephants, folk artists, drummers and master craftsmen. The handicrafts exhibited during the festival include silks of Banares, handmade carpets of Badohi, woodcarvings of Saharanpur, chikan work of Lucknow, and blue pottery of Khurja. One of the major attractions of Taj Mahotsav is the amazing performances by the folk artists from the different states of India.

Artisans from different parts of India get an opportunity to display their exquisite works of art. To name a few among them are the wood/stone carvings from Tamil Nadu, bamboo/cane work from North East India, paper-mache work from South India, Kashmir, marble inlay and zardozi work from Agra, wood carving from Saharanpur, brass wares from Moradabad, handmade carpets from Bhadohi, shawls & carpets from Kashmir/Gujarat, hand printing from Farrukhaba, the Kantha stitch saris from West Bengal and many more.

Wildlife enthusiasts may have finally found an answer to the longstanding question - do male big cats rear their cubs whose mothers have died? Pictures taken at the Ranthambore National Park on Saturday evening by wildlife conservator and photographer Balendu Singh, show that the male tigers do double up as mothers for their cubs.

"These are pictures of the T25 tiger looking after the two cubs that he fathered," said tiger expert Valmik Thapar, as he announced to enthralled audience at the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) that this doubtful behaviour of the wild cats now stood confirmed in the Ranthambore forests. "This was unheard of in the tiger literature of the world. Only the female tigers were known to raise the cubs, but T25 has shown that the males also do it," Thapar asserted.

Until now the tiger was suspected to be playing a 'doting dad' to the two cubs after their mother died in February 2011. The state wildlife authorities, too, had been keeping a watch on the tiger and the orphaned cubs since June 2011 when first indications were picked up that T25 could be doubling up as mother.

Rare pictures capturing tiger habitats through the lens of an India Customs official, VinodGoel, are on display at India International Center. The exhibition is a compilation of pictures taken across India for over 8 years.

"I hope the exhibition becomes an eye opener for the new generation. I want them, not only to love the wildlife, but to see its glory for themselves," said Goel.